


Wood-Shattering Conversations

by Gobayern16



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 11:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24968692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gobayern16/pseuds/Gobayern16
Summary: “You’re not my favorite person today,” Fox murmured, probing at the cut again, wincing when his cheek protested the abuse. Ponds dropped his eyes, guilt and shame evident in his posture.“I’m not your favorite person any day, it seems,” he responded bitterly.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 142
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	Wood-Shattering Conversations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts).



> Thank you [Projie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506) for letting me play in your universe!
> 
> Thank you to Thired and [Poptarts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilkillerpoptarts/pseuds/evilkillerpoptarts) for beta-ing and helping with the fight scene, and my discord peeps for talking types of wood with me :)

Grumbling under his breath, Fox stomped through the Guard main office to his own, his scowl enough to deter the others from talking. Entering his office, Fox pulled up short, gaze landing on the vod lounging on his desk chair.

“Ponds,” Fox growled. “Get out of my chair. Better yet, get out of my office. Don’t you have a war to fight?”

“Aw, but Fox, I’m so comfy right here!” Ponds let his limbs sprawl further, blacks clinging like a second skin, a shit-eating grin on his face. Fox stalked closer, dumping his bucket on his desk.

“Comfy or not, I have work to do. So go be a pest elsewhere. I don’t have time for this.” Fed up with waiting, Fox grabbed Ponds by his collar and dumped him on the floor.

“Now Fox, is that any way to treat your favorite vod?” Seemingly unbothered by his change in location, Ponds crossed his arms under his head, smirking up at Fox. When several moments passed with no reply, Ponds frowned, poking Fox in the thigh with one foot. “Hey, it’s not nice to ignore your - Woah!” Quick as lightning, Fox grabbed the offending boot. He yanked hard until Ponds’ hips were level with his own, before flinging it away, sending Ponds tumbling head over shebs. Ponds surged to his feet and lunged. His chest impacted Fox’s empty desk chair, the Guard commander having predicted his move. Taking advantage of his slight upper hand, Fox grabbed Ponds by his upper arms and flung him across his desk, sending padds and flimsi flying. 

Ponds twisted in midair. His boots barely touched the ground before he pushed off again, his fingers hooking into Fox’s chestplate. He pulled hard, Fox staggering from the force. Fox’s feet caught on the edge of his desk, unbalancing him, and he fell, face connecting with the ornamental lamp on his desk. The balsa shattered into a thousand jagged pieces, cutting his cheek. Partially blinded by the mess of splinters, he crashed into Ponds, both of them collapsing to the floor. 

Fox reeled back in shock, hand going to the cut on his face. He drew his fingers away, staring at the blood staining his fingertips, before letting his gaze travel to Ponds, who was frozen in place. The tableau held, one moment, two, then Fox exhaled in an explosive rush.

“You’re not my favorite person today,” Fox murmured, probing at the cut again, wincing when his cheek protested the abuse. Ponds dropped his eyes, guilt and shame evident in his posture.

“I’m not your favorite person any day, it seems,” he responded bitterly. He pushed to his feet, dislodging Fox from his lap. “I’ll get out of your hair. Sorry about the face, I didn’t mean to hurt you, or to destroy your lamp. And don’t worry about the cost of replacing it; just bill it to me.” 

Fox gaped at him, shocked. “Wait!” He snapped, snagging Ponds’ sleeve before the other could step past him. He softened his voice at the obvious hurt in Ponds’ face. “You really think that? That I don’t like you?”

“You mean you don’t?” Now Ponds was slightly confused. “ All we do is argue and fight and break your office furniture. And I just want to take your mind off the shit happening in the Senate and the problems the Guard face because I know you have it worse since you’re not “out there fighting and dying with the rest of us” and people look down on you for it and -” Ponds broke off, taking a deep breath to stop his nervous babble. He started again, slower this time. “I just want to help you relax but it seems all I do is make it worse. So I’m just gonna go, leave you in peace, and you don’t have to worry about me coming back and annoying you ever again.”

Fox sat in stunned disbelief, mind trying to make sense of all he’d just heard. The silence stretched, Fox clearly not knowing what to say. Ponds finally sighed, detaching Fox’s hand from his sleeve. With a small nod to his fellow commander, he turned back to the door. He had almost reached it when there was movement from behind him. 

“You do take my mind off things,” Fox said quietly, stopping Ponds in his tracks. “The things we argue about, they’re minor and petty and ground me in the here and now. Remind me that not everything has to be about the Senate and the war and far away problems that I can’t do a kriffing thing about.” He came up behind Ponds, hands fisting his blacks and resting his forehead between Ponds’ shoulder blades. Ponds froze, not daring to breathe as Fox continued. “You distract me from the prejudice and disrespect we get from people, even after we solve their problems and save their ungrateful shebs. You make me feel whole and appreciated and alive,” Fox paused, letting the seriousness of his words settle. 

“And you’re an okay fighter too, I guess, vod’ika,” Fox added, amusement coloring his voice.

Ponds squawked in feigned outrage at the slight, turning around to grasp Fox’s forearms. “You take that back, vod! I’m an excellent fighter! You -” Ponds broke off, noticing Fox’s grin. He sighed, shoulders slumping. “Ha ha, real funny.” He lifted his head to meet Fox’s gaze, hope in his eyes. 

Fox gently knocked their heads together into a keldabe. “We good, vod?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Ponds murmured. He took a moment to just breathe, to let the emotions of the past few minutes settle. He opened his eyes, not remembering closing them. “I _am_ sorry about the face though. Do you want me to comm the medics to fix it?”

Fox snorted, finally moving back. “And have Emergency ban you from the Guard offices and nag me to death? No thanks, I’ll take care of it myself. I have a small kit here. Some bacta and I’ll be good as new.” His grin turned sharp. “I’m still going to bill you for a replacement lamp.”

Ponds laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll pay for it. Just don’t get anything ugly or boring, or I’ll have to break it next time out of spite.” Shooting Fox one last smile, he left the office, nodding to the other troopers present.

Fox shook his head, lips quirked up in a smile, turning back to his desk and the med kit stored there. He was going to miss the di’kut when he shipped out again


End file.
